Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Roku Tips, Tricks & Tweaks - #3 Netflix Profiles: Roku 3

Hi, everyone !!

It's been a while since I posted any tips, tricks & tweaks for the Roku player but, just recently, I've been noticing a lot of people enquiring about "Netflix Profiles" on Roku. It that doesn't ring any bells with you, it's a feature of Netflix which allows customers to create a separate "profile" for each family member, who can then all see a personalised set of recommendations for what to watch on Netflix. So, if you've gone to watch Netflix on your Roku and found "My List" suddenly populated with kids tv shows and you're getting recommendations for "My Little Pony", when you know full well that you only use Netflix to watch horror movies, the ability to give other members of the family their very own "Netflix Profile" is reason enough to have that option included with the Netflix channel on Roku.

Of course, most of you will by now be aware that there is a "New Netflix Experience" for the Roku 3, which basically means a new UI (User Interface) for the movie streaming service, but may not know that this new Netflix UI was bundled in with a software update to 'version 5.2 - build 3267' on the flagship Roku player. The new Netflix user interface heralded THIS ANNOUNCEMENT via the Official Roku Blog which was posted on 12th November 2013 and then the update began rolling out in the UK exactly one week later. As stated in the post, the NEW NETFLIX UI was initially applied to ROKU 3 ONLY with Roku going on to say they are "exploring the possibility of making it available on additional player models" although they have yet to specify which models that might be. Assuming your Roku 3 has been updated to the above software version & build number, watch THIS VIDEO showing what you will get from the "New Netflix Experience" on the flagship Roku player.

PLEASE REMEMBER:- This is (currently) available for ROKU 3 ONLY and, although your Roku player may have been updated to 'Version 5.2' (just with a different build number to the one above), you will still have the original Netflix UI with larger tiles (i.e. poster images) and a grey background as opposed to the newer one which uses program images for the background as per the above video.

Anyway, despite the announcement from Roku that the updated Netflix channel "...also supports 'Profiles', which makes it easier for everyone", they certainly haven't made it "easy" to access this feature in the new Netflix UI for the Roku 3. In fact, a recent "Live Chat" with Netflix UK revealed that "Netflix Profiles" is apparently "not yet available on Roku" and that there was no confirmed date for when it might be expected. The only advice offered by Netflix UK was to "look for announcements on the Netflix Facebook Page stating when 'Netflix Profiles' has been added to Roku" which, as you will soon discover, is not exactly 100% accurate. The simple fact of the matter is that you actually can get "Netflix Profiles" on the Roku 3 right now, by using this little workaround that I've found which will enable "Netflix Profiles" to appear as an extra option in the Netflix menu on your Roku 3.

Much like when you first set up your Roku player via an online Roku account, all that this little "trick" requires is for you to set up "Netflix Profiles" by logging into your Netflix account online and creating up to 5 profiles using your main Netflix Account. Here is another video, from Netflix themselves, that includes a brief description of the process for setting up "Netflix Profiles" using the Netflix website:-

Essentially, you must first LOGIN TO YOUR NETFLIX ACCOUNT by visiting the Netflix website online in the usual way. Once you have entered your details you should then see your Account Name in the top right hand corner of the screen. If you click on this, a dropdown menu will appear including an option to "Manage Profiles" as well as access "Your Account", get "Help", or "Sign out of Netflix". Here is a partial screenshot of what you might expect to see:-

HINT:- Click on the above image to ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!

If you CLICK ON the link in the dropdown menu to "MANAGE PROFILES" you will be redirected to the Netflix "Profiles" screen which includes a "+" button to "ADD PROFILE", that can be found on the far upper right hand side of the screen, as shown in the partial screenshot below:-

AS ABOVE:- Click on the above image to ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!

The next step is to CLICK ON the "+" button, where it says "ADD PROFILE", and a special window will appear (over the main Netflix screen, which is blacked-out) allowing you to ENTER A NAME for your "Netflix Profile" before clicking on the red button marked "CONTINUE" to return to the main Netflix "Profiles" screen. The special window for entering your profile name will look like this:-

LIKE BEFORE:- Click on the above image to ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!

You must click in the data entry box, where it says "Name", and then type in whatever name you would like to be associated with your new "Netflix Profile" and if required (i.e. when the profile is being set up for a child in your family) you should also click in the check box beside where it says, "This is a profile for kids under 12". After that, simply click on the red button marked "CONTINUE" to return to the main Netflix "Profiles" screen, where you will then see your new profile listed below your original profile. To illustrate this I have created a new profile called "My New Profile" which will then be featured in all of the screenshots which follow this one, by way of example. So, here is another image of the "ADD PROFILE" screen with the name, "My New Profile", already typed in:-

AS PREVIOUSLY:- Click on the above image to ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!

After you CLICK ON the red button marked "CONTINUE", and have again been redirected to the main "Profiles" page of the Netflix website, you should see your newly created "Netflix Profile" listed below your original profile (i.e. the one allocated when you first set up your Netflix Account) with an "EDIT" button to the right of the profile name plus a "CHARACTER" ICON (or 'Avatar', if you like) to the left of the profile name. Using the example of "My New Profile", here is a partial screenshot of what you can expect to see when redirected to the main "Profiles" page of the Netflix website:-

GUESS WHAT?!!... Click on the above image to ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!

If you CLICK ON the grey button marked "EDIT", you will then have the option to CHANGE the profile "NAME", as well as choose a different "CHARACTER" ICON (i.e. avatar) to be associated with the profile, or to re-assign the profile to a child by clicking in the check box beside where it says, "This is a profile for kids under 12" or, if need be, there is a button to "DELETE PROFILE" included among the "EDIT" options there, as well. Sticking to the above example of "My New Profile", here is a partial screenshot of what you can expect to see if & when you click on the grey "EDIT" button:-

IF YOU WEREN'T AWARE:- Click on the above image to ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!

Since, whenever you first create a new "Netflix Profile", there is a "CHARACTER" ICON (i.e. avatar) automatically allocated to that new profile, the most likely reason for you to "EDIT" your new profile is to choose a different "CHARACTER" ICON (i.e. avatar) to be associated with it. So, if you CLICK ON the "down arrow" situated over the bottom right-hand corner of your "CHARACTER" ICON, as per the above image, you will then be presented with a range of options to choose from as follows:-

AS ALWAYS:- Click on the above image to ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!

Some of the "EDIT" functions, such as the option to CHANGE the profile "NAME", or to re-assign the profile to a child by clicking in the check box beside where it says, "This is a profile for kids under 12", don't really require much additional information. For that reason, I'm not going to bother with additional examples / screenshots for performing those tasks. If you get stuck, you can always leave a comment below and I'll try to help out where I can. However, since the "DELETE PROFILE" option does featureanother of those special windows over the main Netflix screen, which is (once again) blacked-out, I've decided to include a screenshot of the special window associated with the "EDIT" function to "DELETE PROFILE" so that you know what to expect:-

GENTLE REMINDER:- Click on the above image to ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!

IT'S WORTH REMEMBERING:- That, IF YOU CLICK ON the red "DELETE PROFILE" button from the above special window, THE PROFILE HISTORY (including lists, ratings and activity) that were associated with that profile WILL BE GONE FOREVER and you will not be able to access it ever again. So, please be sure to TAKE A MOMENT and to THINK CAREFULLY before you go ahead and delete it. THERE IS always THE OPTION TO "KEEP PROFILE" if you change your mind at this stage, or arrived at this special screen unintentionally. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED !!!

Anyway, once you've set up your new profile(s) by accessing your Netflix Account online, you can then "Sign out of Netflix" on your computer (or laptop / tablet, etc) by clicking on your Account Name in the top right hand corner of the screen. As with the option to "Manage Profiles" (outlined above), a dropdown menu will appear including a link to "Sign out of Netflix" (also shown in the partial screenshot for "Manage Profiles" - above). Once that's been taken care of, you can go back to your Roku 3 player and, when you re-load the 'Netflix' channel, the first screen you see should now ask, "Who's watching Netflix?", and (below that) you should see all of the profiles associated with your main Netflix Account. From there, you just choose the desired profile for whomever is about to watch Netflix on your Roku, using the "RIGHT" and/or "LEFT" directional buttons on your Roku remote, then press the "OK" button, and you will be taken to the main Netflix screen, which will include the relevant "My List" for the selected profile.

If you then wish to change profiles, simply press the directional button on your Roku remote for "UP" until you get to the "Menu" options (located above "My List"). Once there, you should see that a menu option to "Switch profiles" has now been added, in between the menu option for "Go to the Kids area" and another option to "View account information or sign out". From there, you can effortlessly switch between any of the (up to 5) profiles associated with your Netflix account, as often as you like. Best of all, the GOOD NEWS IS.... that YOU NEED ONLY DO THIS ONCE because, after setting up the profiles online and confirming that you can access them on your Roku 3, they will always be there for you whenever you load the Netflix channel on your Roku 3 !!!

So, in case you had been wondering how to get "Netflix Profiles" on your Roku 3, or perhapsevenif you could get them on Roku 3... the answer is "Yes you can get Netflix Profiles on Roku 3" and, despite what Netflix & others might tell you, "Netflix Profiles are on Roku 3 RIGHT NOW", so follow the instructions above and help everyone in your household "get the most out of Netflix" TODAY !!

Don't forget to let me know how you get on and if this particular tip was useful to you... not forgetting that, if you'd rather not leave a comment here, you can always do so via the companion Twitter Feed to this blog: @ukrokuchannels but, either way, it'd be good to hear of your experiences with this as well as any other tips, tricks & tweaks for Roku player you might like to see featured on this blog.